What Burlington Community Foundation does

Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1999 in Burlington, Ontario, that operates as a community foundation managing donor advised funds, agency funds, scholarship funds, and cause-specific endowments for individuals, families, businesses, and charitable organizations. The foundation has built a portfolio of more than 140 donor advised funds and has invested between $12.7M and $14.9M into community organizations since inception, with a 9.8% five-year annualized investment return (2020–2025) achieved through pooled assets managed by Guardian Partners Inc. in a 15% fixed income / 50% equity / 35% alternative mix. BCF delivers programs including an annual Community Granting Program (35 local organizations funded in the 2025 cycle with $300K disbursed), Vital Signs research reports measuring community vitality across housing, living standards, arts, economy, environment, and recreation indicators, and Vital Community Conversations hosted with Burlington Public Library.

BCF's technology stack consists of a cloud-based fund management platform (fcsuite), an online Giving Hub for donations with immediate tax receipts, a Grant Interface portal for charitable applications, and integration with Community Foundations of Canada for cross-border and government program delivery. The foundation operates on a fee-based revenue model comprising a 2% annual management fee on endowed fund balances (sliding scale), a 3% transaction fee on credit card donations, and a 3% flow-through donation facilitation fee, with a 5% annual disbursement policy. A lean four-person team led by President & CEO Megan Tregunno runs operations from a co-working space in Burlington, supported by a Board chaired by Tim Cestnick, and BCF is part of a national network of more than 200 Canadian community foundations.

Name

Burlington Community Foundation

Legal name

Burlington Community Foundation

Website

https://burlingtonfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Burlington Community Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that manages 140+ donor advised funds, agency funds, and cause endowments for individuals, businesses, and charities in Burlington and Halton Region, investing pooled capital via Guardian Partners Inc. and disbursing community grants through an annual granting program and Vital Signs research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Endowment management
• Charitable grants administration
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Administration Fees: Annual management fee charged to funds based on capital balance to recover administration and investment management costs. Currently 2% on a sliding scale.
2. Transaction Processing Fees: 3% transaction fee applied to credit card donations made through the Giving Hub. Donors have option to cover this fee.
3. Flow-Through Donation Services: Modest 3% management fee charged for facilitating flow-through donations to charities on behalf of donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Burlington Community Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that provides philanthropic services for individuals, families, businesses, and other charities in the Burlington and Halton Region area. It establishes and administers donor advised funds, agency funds, scholarship funds, and cause-specific endowments, pools capital for professional investment management, and disburses annual grants to qualified donees through its Community Granting Program and discretionary cause funds. It also publishes Vital Signs research and operates online portals (Giving Hub and Granting Hub) that facilitate donations, gift processing, and grant applications.

Product overview

Burlington Community Foundation operates as a philanthropic hub managing more than 140 donor advised funds, agency funds, scholarship funds, and cause funds. The organization provides charitable giving services including fund management (investment, compliance, administration), community granting programs, and research publications. Key products include Donor Advised Funds for individual and corporate giving, the annual Community Granting Program for local charities, Agency Funds for charitable organizations seeking sustainable revenue, and Scholarship Funds for educational awards. The Foundation also produces Vital Signs research reports and maintains digital platforms including the Giving Hub for donations and the Granting Hub for applications. Cause funds such as the Housing Support Fund and Mental Wellness Endowment Fund address specific community priorities identified through research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds Permanent, income-earning endowment funds established by donors with BCF handling investment management, regulatory compliance, governance, and administration. Fundholders may direct giving areas or let BCF recommend grants to priority community needs; targeted at individuals, families, and businesses creating charitable legacies.
• Community Granting Program Annual grantmaking initiative that funds charitable organizations serving Burlington residents, with applications reviewed by a Community Adjudication Committee and grants awarded in November each year. Applications open in mid-September and are managed through the Granting Hub portal.
• Agency Funds Permanent endowment funds established by charitable organizations to generate sustainable annual revenue for their own operations, with professional investment management and administration provided by BCF.
• Scholarship Funds Endowed funds established to provide annual awards to students, with fundholders working with BCF to set award criteria in line with best practices.
• Vital Signs Reports Community-driven research reports measuring the vitality of Burlington across Vital Indicators including housing, living standards, arts and culture, economy, environment, and sports/recreation, presented in an easy-to-understand grading system. The 2025 edition was presented by FirstOntario Credit Union.
• Housing Support Fund Permanently invested endowment fund established in response to Vital Signs findings that provides annual grants to local charities supporting housing needs in Burlington and Halton Region.
• Mental Wellness Endowment Fund Endowment fund established in response to Vital Signs reporting to improve mental health in the community, providing annual grants to charitable organizations providing mental health supports.
• Burlington Community Foundation Sustainability Fund Fund supporting the mission and sustainability of BCF's operations, enabling the team to respond to evolving community needs such as housing, mental health, arts and culture, and environment.
• Giving Hub Online donation platform that helps donors find areas of giving interest and specific funds, searchable by area of interest or fund name, accepting credit card, securities, and providing charitable tax receipts for donations over $20.
• Granting Hub Online grant application portal for charitable organizations to apply for BCF's Community Granting Program, allowing applicants to view past applications, drafts, reports, and grant history.

Quantifiable outcome

• $12.7M invested in community since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Pilot partnership in 2025 providing $5,000 grant to support YPI programming at Aldershot High School. Students learn philanthropy by researching local organizations and making grants decisions. BCF enabling youth engagement in local philanthropy.
• FirstOntario Credit UnionnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Presenting sponsor of BCF's 2025 Vital Signs research report. Partnership supports community education and engagement around Vital Signs findings at Vital Community Conversations events.
• Community Foundations of Canada (CFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner organization that enables BCF to disburse grants through government initiatives (e.g., Community Services Recovery Program, Investment Readiness Program). CFC partnership also enables US donors to receive charitable tax receipts through the foundation.
• Guardian Partners Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationProfessional investment advisory firm that works with BCF to pool all funds and maximize potential for earned income. Current asset mix: 15% fixed income, 50% equity, 35% alternative investments. 5-year annualized return of 9.8% (2020-2025).
• Burlington Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Vital Community Conversations series, hosting quarterly dialogue events on topics identified in Vital Signs research. Provides venues at various branch locations including Central Library, Tansley Woods, and New Appleby.
• 200+ Canadian Community FoundationsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCF is part of national network of community foundations all working to create communities where everyone belongs. Network enables knowledge sharing, best practices, and collaborative initiatives.
• Burlington Downtown Business AssociationminorOthersOccasional collaboration on community events and initiatives in downtown Burlington area.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ottawa Community Foundation: Ottawa Community Foundation manages a comparable mix of donor-advised, agency, scholarship, and community funds for the Ottawa region, with similar Vital Signs programming and pooled investment management. It is a natural peer given overlapping Canadian community-foundation mandate, fund types, and grantmaking approach.
• Hamilton Community Foundation: Hamilton Community Foundation is a directly comparable Ontario community foundation that manages donor-advised funds, agency funds, scholarships, and community grants across the Greater Hamilton area. Like BCF, it pools capital for investment, runs community granting cycles, and publishes Vital Signs research, making its operating model and scale closely aligned.
• Toronto Foundation: Toronto Foundation operates the same community-foundation model of donor-advised funds, agency funds, and community granting in the GTA, with Vital Signs reports as a flagship program. It is a larger-scale peer in the same Canadian community-foundation category as BCF.
• Calgary Foundation: Calgary Foundation is a large Canadian community foundation running donor-advised funds, agency endowments, scholarships, and Vital Signs research. It offers a scaled-up benchmark for BCF's operating model, fund products, and community granting approach.
• Oakville Community Foundation: Oakville Community Foundation is a Halton Region peer with a comparable donor-advised fund, grantmaking, and community-foundation mandate serving a neighboring municipality. Its product mix and donor base closely mirror BCF's, making it one of the most directly comparable organizations.

Others

• Community Foundations of Canada: Community Foundations of Canada is the national network organization that BCF is a member of and partners with to disburse government programs and route US donor tax receipts. It is a key ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, but its role is central to BCF's operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Vancouver Foundation: Vancouver Foundation is Canada's largest community foundation, managing donor-advised funds, agency funds, and granting programs nationwide. It is a broad incumbent peer offering the same core services as BCF but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BurlingtonCommFdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/BurlingtonFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burlington-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/burlingtonfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burlington Community Foundation